Do you have piles of “stuff” so high you can’t find what you need, or sit down to a family dinner at the table because it’s covered with piles of papers or - gasp - dirty dishes?

Even if clutter is beginning to take over your home, you can bust through the confusion and get your household running more smoothly! I’ve got 3 tips that will help you do that.

Tip #1 - Tap into your values

The best allies you have in the war against clutter are your most deeply felt values. Find a way to connect your most cherished beliefs to clearing away the clutter!

In order to do this, you’ll need to ask yourself “what matters most to me” and find a creative way to redefine clutter-busting in terms of your values. This will help you find a deep and profound reason to get the pile under control.

We do the things that matter deeply to us. The goal of tapping into meaningful values and using this strategy as one of your home organization tips is to find value and purpose in clearing up your clutter. Finding the deep meaning in organizing your home gives you a sense of power and pride and almost guarantees that your home will be more orderly! An added benefit is that an orderly environment quiets our mind, gives us a sense of peace, and makes us feel safe.

For example, disorganized piles of paper, books, mail and clothes can lead to wasted time and energy for family members. Disorganization can lead to frustration and irritation that we would rather spare family members from experiencing. Disarray can lead to important things falling through the cracks, creating negative outcomes in the form of penalties, fines, and missed opportunities. A little bit of organization can go a long way to keeping your family happy and keep every member of your family from using up valuable time that could be better used for having fun!

It takes some practice to remember to think of the deep connection and value you bring to your life and the lives of others that matter to you when you get control of the piles of stuff around your home, but with practice, you’ll find you are less resistant to clutter-busting and take more pride in keeping things organized and neat! Try it, it really helps!

Tip #2 - Use your natural processing style

Great! You’ve gotten in touch with your cherished values and know why clearing up the clutter is meaningful to your life. You’ve decided to tackle that pile, but it threatens and taunts you!

Outsmart the pile by using strategies that fit the way you naturally work best. For example, if you work better when you’ve got a buddy for support, invite your best friend over to help you. Today the two of you will tackle your clutter and tomorrow, you’ll bust the jumble at her house!

Another way to enlist a social support network is to call your friend on a hand-free, portable phone or by using an internet application such as Skype or Zoom so that you can cheer each other on while both of you confront your mounds and messes.

Do you work best with your favorite music in the background, a news program or a home video of your children at the park? Sound stimulates the body for alertness, improves efficiency, and controls our moods. Experiment with different types of sounds while you wrestle with your clutter and find ones that help you get the job done faster while enjoying the work more!

Many of us rise to a challenge, and if that describes you, try setting a timer and racing to beat it while tackling your clutter. Make it a game in some way. Pretend you’re a contestant on your favorite reality show – at least you’ll be entertained the whole time!

Aromas are powerful stimulators for the nervous system. Experiment with different scents to find some that enervate your body and elevate your mood. Try peppermint, sage, lemongrass, pine, or cherry. You can make a cup of herbal tea and bask in the aroma and warmth while working, or diffuse scents into the room with a diffuser or scented candle.

Do whatever you need to do to make the conditions right for you so you persist and demolish that pile! Work with your natural style, not against it and you’ll be triumphant over clutter!

Stay tuned for Tip #3 coming to your inbox in several days!

Tip 3# - Use the bucket trick

Get a number of buckets, tubs, or boxes, one for every room in your home. The buckets can be clear so you can see everything inside or very attractive to match your décor (you’ll see why in a minute). Label each bucket with the name of one of the rooms in your home.

Start by bringing a trash can and your buckets right to the pile you need to get sorted, let’s say you need to clear off the dining room table. A motto in the field of home organization tips is that every item in the pile has a “home” where it naturally “lives.” Your job is to help the items get home to where they live.

Start by sorting the items one by one into the buckets based on where they belong. Things to be thrown away go into the trash can, which is where trash lives. Sort the items that live in the family room, your bedroom, your children’s bedrooms, the bathroom, etc. into the correct buckets.

Next, take each of the buckets to the room where the items in it live. Even if you can’t get to the next step today, you’ve gotten this far and cleared away the pile!! Celebrate your accomplishment! Woohoo!

Now it’s time for stage two, tackling the buckets

You can tackle stage two right after you clear the pile, or the next day. Put each thing in the buckets away in its true home.

As you empty the buckets, take them back to the dining room table and set them out, ready for work!

From now on, everything that comes onto the dining room table goes into the correct bucket right from the start, no excuses. If the item lives in the bedroom, it goes into the bucket labelled “bedroom” and so on.

Whenever a bucket gets full (or if you can manage it – every night), take the bucket to the correct room and put the things in the bucket away in their proper home. In this way, it only will take a quick five to ten minutes to get everything put back in its home!

The bucket system is a cool tool for staying organized and efficient with your time. You can jazz up the system by using attractive buckets which make the experience more fun. Get some attractive containers at a flea market, thrift store, or bargain store. Choose ones that match your décor or your personality. Now organizing is fun, which means you are more likely to stick with it.

Give clutter a one-two-three punch with these powerful tips! Let me know how it’s going for you, and keep your eyes peeled for more helpful strategies from yours truly!

If you have passionate dreams and brilliant ideas, but you’re frustrated by procrastination, lack of focus and difficulty following through, it’s time to get in the driver’s seat once and for all! I help women take charge of their “out of control” lives … women who feel scattered, overwhelmed, and out of their depths trying to keep their heads above water in their careers and personal lives.

Imagine finally feeling focused, confident and in control of your time and your tasks. What would it be like to release the frustration and shame and finally be able to skillfully manage your home, your career and your life! If you've tried all the "traditional" approaches to time and task management, but the pieces haven't come together for you yet, contact me - I can help!